Conventional air-conditioning control in a store involves measuring environmental information (e.g., temperature) in the store by environmental sensors (e.g., temperature sensors) and controlling air conditioners based on the measured environmental information. In the case of measuring environmental information in a store or a building, environmental sensors are mounted on shelves or equipment in the store to acquire environmental information close to that experienced by a body (e.g., a temperature that would be experienced by a body). A conventional technique uses environmental sensors that are capable of wireless communication and can be placed anywhere.
An air-conditioning control system according to an aspect of the disclosure is an air-conditioning control system provided in an area and comprising an air-conditioning control apparatus configured to control a plurality of environmental sensors which acquire environmental information in the area and a plurality of air conditioners which air-condition the area, wherein the air-conditioning control apparatus is configured to: group the plurality of environmental sensors into a plurality of groups, based on correlation coefficients between environmental information acquired by the plurality of environmental sensors; regularly calculate a correlation coefficient between environmental information acquired by one or more environmental sensors in each of the plurality of groups; reset, in the case where the calculated correlation coefficient does not exceed a first threshold, a group associated with the one or more environmental sensors; and control an air conditioner in the plurality of air conditioners that is associated with any of the plurality of groups, based on environmental information acquired by each environmental sensor in the group associated with the air conditioner.
An air-conditioning control apparatus according to an aspect of the disclosure is an air-conditioning control apparatus provided in an area to control a plurality of environmental sensors which acquire environmental information in the area and a plurality of air conditioners which air-condition the area based on the environmental information acquired by the plurality of environmental sensors, the air-conditioning control apparatus comprising: a group generator configured to group the plurality of environmental sensors into a plurality of groups, based on correlation coefficients between environmental information acquired by the plurality of environmental sensors; a correlation coefficient calculator configured to regularly calculate a correlation coefficient between environmental information acquired by one or more environmental sensors in each of the plurality of groups; a group reset unit configured to reset, in the case where the calculated correlation coefficient does not exceed a first threshold, a group associated with an environmental sensor; and an air conditioner controller configured to control an air conditioner in the plurality of air conditioners that is associated with any of the plurality of groups, based on environmental information acquired by each environmental sensor in the group associated with the air conditioner.
An air-conditioning control method according to an aspect of the disclosure is an air-conditioning control method used in an area to control a plurality of environmental sensors which acquire environmental information in the area and a plurality of air conditioners which air-condition the area, the air-conditioning control method including: grouping the plurality of environmental sensors into a plurality of groups, based on correlation coefficients between environmental information acquired by the plurality of environmental sensors; regularly calculating a correlation coefficient between environmental information acquired by one or more environmental sensors in each of the plurality of groups; resetting, in the case where the calculated correlation coefficient does not exceed a first threshold, a group associated with an environmental sensor; and controlling an air conditioner in the plurality of air conditioners that is associated with any of the plurality of groups, based on environmental information acquired by each environmental sensor in the group associated with the air conditioner.